.......it used to be with them and B&H if i ordered stuff from them before about noon, i would have it in my hands the next day. for whatever reason adorama and B&H aren't that fast anymore, so it takes an extra day.....

Adorama ships SAME DAY on all orders for new, in-stock items, provided the order has cleared ID verification by 8:00 pm ET, Monday to Thursday (and up 'til 1:00 pm ET on a Friday).If that has not been your experience, please email me the details so I can look into it for you: Helen@adorama.com

From many of the postings in other threads, it seems that some buyers are far less principled than the retailers. Particularly selfish was the report about someone who would order from different vendors several copies of a lens so he could choose the best and send the rest back. To order one copy and send it back because it is unsatisfactory is perfectly reasonable, to order several with the deliberate intention of sending all but one back is simply unfair by wasting other peoples postage, time and possibly lowering the value of the goods for subsequent sale.

The response in this thread is overwhelmingly annoyance with the OP who is getting pretty close to trolling by mentioning names etc.

...I live in NJ and they charge NJ sales tax on all orders, so I also have a financial reason not to buy from them online these days..............

Actually, Adorama doesn't charge sales tax; the state of NJ charges it and for NJ residents we are legally obliged to collect it.There is a provision on the NJ income tax forms for you to declare out of state purchases that are subject to NJ state sales tax; many NY / NJ residents actively choose to purchase from retailers who collect on their behalf, as it saves them the bother - in any case, you really do need to pay that tax when filing your state income tax return.

As an example, if the state rate is 5.5% and you purchase $5,000 worth of equipment from an online out of state retailer that doesn't collect sales tax on orders shipped to you, it is your responsibility to send in 5.5% of that $5,000 ($275) to your state Department of Revenue.

Fines for tax evasion can be very high, and it adds up quickly with fees, interest etc added onto the tax owed. If you're ever audited you'd be very happy that you have been taking care of this year by year. The best thing to do is to ask your local tax agency as well as a good local CPA.

[It is probably not a good idea for anyone to even suggest on an internet forum that they don't pay sales tax on out of state purchases. With the financial crisis that NJ and many other states are in, it is only a matter of time until they start cracking down on this].

Helen, while your statement is politically correct it is certainly not connected with the reality of the way that average consumers actually shop in the NY/NJ region. It's a red herring, so I made the type red, too. :-) At any rate, you appear to be proactive in helping the consumer have a positive purchasing experience at the establishment that employs you. Please, keep up the good work!

...I live in NJ and they charge NJ sales tax on all orders, so I also have a financial reason not to buy from them online these days.

You are not going to buy from them because they support your local economy??? Funny how nobody wants to pay tax and yet everyone wants to have their streets paved or to have the police come when they call 911.

Governor Christie would just buy some more cheese burgers with my stipend! :-)(BTW...I pay PLENTY of taxes...i live in NJ ..we are taxed to death here..toll roads, bridges, tunnels, pay beaches, etc..etc..etc...I do not need to be chastised for making a perfectly legal choice to keep more of my hard-earned cash in my pocket..just like Apple or Mitt Romney..It's the USA..I look for loopholes...I take my power back wherever possible!)

Bob Dylan wrote about the morals of NJ in Tweeter and the Monkeyman

Jan had told him many times "it was you to me who taught:in Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught"

About 10 years ago, when I was first getting into SLR photography, I was planning a last-minute road trip, and wanted to pick up a couple of lenses for the trip (a 17-40 and a 70-200/4). One or the other was out of stock at B&H (probably the 17-40, since it was a new model back then), so I called Adorama. It was early in the day, and they claimed to have both lenses in stock. So I placed the order with them, used a credit card with plenty of available credit line, and paid for next-day AM delivery. According to the phone rep, all was well, and I would receive my order the following morning.

The next day, morning came and went, and no delivery. I called Adorama and learned that my order had been processed, but hadn't shipped yet. I was leaving later that day, so I cancelled the order, and did a phone search to find the lenses locally. I had to go to two different stores to buy both lenses, literally on my way out of town.

Since that experience, I have continued to do business with Adorama, but only if I can't find what I want elsewhere, and only if I'm not in a hurry to get what I ordered.

About 10 years ago, when I was first getting into SLR photography, I was planning a last-minute road trip, and wanted to pick up a couple of lenses for the trip ......Since that experience, I have continued to do business with Adorama, but only if I can't find what I want elsewhere, and only if I'm not in a hurry to get what I ordered.

As I noted above, Adorama has a completely new Management structure - since 2007, actually.

We now do not charge a credit card until an order actually ships, and as per our website:

Adorama Camera makes every effort to get your order to you as soon as possible. Orders for in-stock items placed on business days before 8:00 PM ET (Eastern Time) are generally shipped the same day (subject to verification, click here for details). Please note weekend orders, placed on Fridays after 1:00 PM ET will be processed on the following Monday. If there is a problem with your order, you will receive an e-mail within one business day to advise you about the situation.

Used items:We guarantee next day delivery for orders received, processed and verified by 1:00 P.M. ET (Eastern Time) Monday - Thursday, and before 8:30 A.M. ET (Eastern Time) on Friday. Orders received after these times or those which require verification (see below) will be processed the next business day.

Delivery of TVs and other oversized items:Oversize items like large televisions, which ship by truck, might ship a day later.

Actually, Adorama doesn't charge sales tax; the state of NJ charges it and for NJ residents we are legally obliged to collect it.

There is a provision on the NJ income tax forms for you to declare out of state purchases that are subject to NJ state sales tax; many NY / NJ residents actively choose to purchase from retailers who collect on their behalf, as it saves them the bother - in any case, you really do need to pay that tax when filing your state income tax return...

As I've said before, I'm a long time customer of Adorama (since the 1970s) and they are my preferred retailer for photographic supplies. I also appreciate that they pay Helen to monitor and respond on this forum.

But, I have to say, on the tax issue, the comments are a bit disingenuous. Adorama (As well as B&H, Amazon, eBay and many others) choose not to collect the sales tax on orders in states where they are not legally required to collect the tax. They could do so voluntarily, but they don't. So, to suggest that collecting the tax on behalf of New York or New Jersey is a great service they provide to their customers in those states, raises the question – why aren't customers in all the others states they serve worthy of the same service?

Hopefully, in a few months Congress will take action to assure that all online retailers with more than $1 million in annual sales must collect sales taxes on behalf of their customers.

Judging by Helen's remarks, I must assume that Adorama is in favor of the proposed federal law. I would be interested in knowing if that is the case.

......Adorama ......choose not to collect the sales tax on orders in states where they are not legally required to collect the tax. They could do so voluntarily, but they don't...... why aren't customers in all the others states they serve worthy of the same service?

No idea; but of course, we need to employ someone to take care of this so to do something additional that we are not legally obliged to do would increase our costs - which I assume would almost inevitably be passed on to the consumer.

[It is probably not a good idea for anyone to even suggest on an internet forum that they don't pay sales tax on out of state purchases. With the financial crisis that NJ and many other states are in, it is only a matter of time until they start cracking down on this].

Yes! Washington State went after people who were not declaring their state tax, it took a while to work down thru the courts, but it cost them a bundle. Advertising that you do not pay sales tax on a fourm is like begging them to come after you.

They find you by going after a seller with a court order to divulge their sales to customers in the state. Lots of legalities are involved, but, if they are determined and get the information, they will find you.

Adorama Camera makes every effort to get your order to you as soon as possible. Orders for in-stock items placed on business days before 8:00 PM ET (Eastern Time) are generally shipped the same day (subject to verification, click here for details). Please note weekend orders, placed on Fridays after 1:00 PM ET will be processed on the following Monday. If there is a problem with your order, you will receive an e-mail within one business day to advise you about the situation....

A +1 vote from me on Adorama. And Helen this is good to know (about the management change). In the late 1980s I ordered a lens specifying U.S. warranty and Adorama shipped a grey market instead. While the experience itself was inconvenient, even back then the return was accomplished satisfactorily.

and by the way congratulations on a the 5D3 bundle, 'power up for free'. nice job including the grip and an extra battery AND the 2% rewards! effectively, this makes the purchase price close to what it was a few months back before Canon started protecting MAP and one could easily find a 5D3/24-105 kit for $3500.

i just thought that i would chime in to defend adorama. i have dealt with the company on a number of occasions and i am always impressed with their level of service. i recently had a print order from their printing division that arrived damaged by UPS. i called them about the damage which occurred while the prints were in transit to my house. they asked me to take a photograph of the damage and send it them by email - which i did. they promptly sent me a replacement set of photos at no cost to me. obviously, we would all expect a company to do this but i was impressed with the concern they showed for me and the rapid response that they gave to my issue. i have also bought from their camera store and found the level of service to be exemplary.